Cases against Tarique, Zubaida vindictive, fabricated: BNP

The BNP has alleged that the court order to confiscate properties of the party's acting Chairman Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman is "vengeful".

"The order came at a time when a mass movement is in progress against the corrupted government," BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said at a press conference yesterday at the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.

"Rattled by the movement, the government moved to destroy the morale of BNP activists and the public by concocting false cases against the party acting chairman and his wife," Mosharraf alleged.

Mosharraf said the case against Tarique Rahman was filed during the time of the army-backed caretaker government, which wanted to attain their goal of depoliticisation through filing false cases against political leaders.

"Although Zubaida Rahman is not involved with politics, she was named in the case simply because she is a member of the Zia family," he added.

Mosharraf Hossain further alleged that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has become the "Anti-BNP commission" today.

"It is surprising that the owner of all the properties in question is not Tarique Rahman. He is claimed to be the owner of properties; with which he has no affiliation whatsoever. Then, fictitious charges have been brought on tax-paid properties," said the BNP leader.

"The ACC turns a blind eye to the rampant corruption in the country. They, instead, have become the weapon of conspiracy for the government," he added.

Terming the cases against Tarique and Zubaida fabricated, Khandaker Morsharraf demanded the scrapping of the court order and urged the government to return to fair politics.